Forsaken Paths
by Kevinkiwiboi
Summary: Keith is a man born and raised on earth. On the day he decides to take his own life he is instead taken to the world of Runeterra, at which time the League of Legends is being created to finally end the conflict Valoran is plagued by. With this new chance at life with new wonders and new people around him, let us take a glimpse on how our man with a dark past fairs. M for safety
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

A Second Chance

Above Valoran inside the Demacian Border, down from the sky comes what appears to be a small meteorite with an amazingly powerful white glow. As it fell, a black plume of smoke followed behind as it entered the atmosphere. It tumbled toward the ground below, gaining speed as it passed through the clouds, sending a shockwave out as it did so.

It crashed into the dirt, sending out an explosive sound wave before bouncing back up and crushing a few trees as it rolled down a small hill, just stopping before it touched the waters of a clear lake. A few fires had started in the small crater that had been made by the final impact the white rock had on the dirt ground surrounding it. The rock let out a loud crack as it almost split in two, only for it to completely shatter moments later, shards dropping all over the crater it had made.

A man was suspended in mid-air where the centre of the meteorite had once been, floating there for a few moments before falling back onto the ground with a loud thud. Later during the day, a small squadron of men and women in white, blue and Golden armor approach the crash site, led by a large man with a massive sword held with one hand and a blue scarf around his neck. His oversized plate armor clinked with his movements, his short brown hair moving in the soft breeze. Beside him was a Blonde girl, no older than 18. She was much shorter than the man beside her, with bright blue eyes and a small smile across her face. She a blue body suit with much smaller and lighter armor over her chest, forearms, around her waist and lower legs. She also held a small baton in her hands, small spheres of light were rotating around each end of it. Stood at the edge of the crater while the other soldiers secured the area surrounding them. The man whispered something to the girl next to him and pointed at the unconscious man in the crater.

The girl pointed her baton at him, slowly raising him out of the crater and into a shallow part of the river. His clothes were all torn and ragged and his body was covered in dirt. He looked like he had been to hell and back. The girl said something back to the man next to her. He nodded and walked over to pick up the man out of the water. Before he even laid a finger on the man, a spark of electricity jolted his hands back. There was a bright light from behind them as all the white rocks transformed into a white mist-like haze began to rise out of the crater and flow into the unconscious man's body, healing him of a few cuts and bruises on his back. His ragged clothing seemingly disintegrated but his pants and boots were restored to better quality. As the last of the Haze disappeared into his body, he stirred in his sleep for a moment but did not wake.

_Three days later_

He found himself floating in darkness. His mind was blank and there was nothing around him. He felt a pressure begin to rise in the back of his head, the very feeling of it was alien to him. His body began to heat up as the pressure continued to rise. He could hear a quiet hissing sound as he continued to heat up, he was beginning to sweat from the heat now. The pressure finally began to lessen, the hissing abruptly stopped and light filled his eyes. He could hear a voice, the voice of a woman.

"Hey, are you alright? .. Helloooo? Can you hear me? Open your eyes!" She sounded concerned and friendly. He didn't want to open his eyes, they always bore the same actions from everyone that saw them. He then felt a extremely cold water splash against his face, shooting his eyes open and his body up into a sitting up position.

"Gah! That's cold!" He shivered slight at how cold the water was against the heat of his body. He looked over at the surprised woman, her jaw slightly dropped when they locked eyes. He knew it would be any second now, the insults and disgusting words that he had been called for years now.

"Uhh Hi. Sorry t-to wake you up like that. I-I'm Luxanna Crownguard. What's your name, Sir..?" Her voice raised slightly as she said _sir_ as she had no way to know his name. She felt the heat in her cheeks at her embarrassing way of waking the man up. He looked as if he were having a nightmare and she couldn't help stop herself without waking him.

He gave her a confused look at her question and her name. He hadn't heard a familiar name and seen a familiar face like hers since he last played his favorite computer game. He tried his best to remove the look from his face and put on a more neutral look before he spoke.

"My name is.. Keith. I don't have a surname so you'll have to forgive me on that account." He into her eyes, for a moment before breaking the gaze and looking around the room. It was a small bedroom made of marble and adorned with paintings and banners all bearing the same colors. White, blue and gold. They were all over the room, might as well have been a wallpaper with how it looked with marble in between each one. Even the window Curtains were White with Blue patterns and golden outlining. The far wall had a large mirror which Keith could seem himself in. His odd colored eyes glared back at him. They were Red around his pupil. The color of his eyes always drove people away from where he lived. No one could stand looking into the eyes of 'The demon on Earth'. If it wasn't the eyes that drove people away, it would be his silver shoulder length hair. He kept it that length for years and never let it flow over his forehead. He kept it combed backwards and eventually it stayed that way. He had a small patch of scruff on his chin, the same silvery color of his hair. He must've grown it while he was passed out. He looked toward the door to see a small pouch and a pair of black leather boots. They Looked to be newly made and were his size.

His eyes turned back to the girl next to him. '_She can't be older than 18. The Lux I think I know is like 20 or 21_.' He thought to himself. He could swear he felt a small amount of pressure build up in the back of his head again, but his body didn't heat up like it did before. Rather the back of his neck felt irritated like someone was behind him. He was tempted to look but he kept looking at the girl in front of him.

Coming back to her senses she blinked a few times before looking to the wall about the door way. There was a small clock above it and the time read _12:42_. She almost had a small panic attack as she remembered where they were supposed to be.

"AH WE HAVE TO GO. NOW! Get up, get up, get up, get up! You are being trialed by the Prince to find out who you are and why the meteorite fell on you!" Her sudden explosion of energy hit Keith like a brick wall, which was nothing compared to why he was being tried for simply existing. '_Wait.. meteorite? what? If I was hit by a meteorite then how the hell..?_' His thought process was broken by the pair of boots landing on his chest. Lux must've thrown them at him.

"Hurry up! We have to be at the courthouse in-" She glanced back at the clock, _12:44_. "16 minutes! GET UP Keith..? I've never heard of that name before. Never mind, LET'S GO." She ran back over to Keith and pulled him out of the bed on to a chair and put his boots on for him, even tying them in some elaborate way before dragging him out of the small room through several hallways, all of which had several Butlers and maids giving the two running down the hallways odd looks of confusion.

They reached the main door to the outside world, a massively oversized golden double door adorned with a Massive crest Keith could only have a glance at before they dashed through the doors and he was thrown into a carriage with Lux dashing in after him and sitting across from him. The door to the carriage shut and started rolling with the pull from two large horses covered in White armor. '_What the hell is going on?_'

Lux was staring at Keith with new found interest, her head was held up but her hands with her elbows resting on her knees as she leaned forward. He smiled widened as Keith looked at her, she didn't seem to mind the red coloring of his eyes.

"Where are you from Keith? You don't seem like you're from Demacia and you had the look of a traveler judging by how your clothes were all ragged and torn when we found you." She was spilling curiosity blatantly. There was no dodging questions with this girl.

"I'm uh, I'm from the.. Frel..jord? Yeah the Freljord. I've been traveling for a bit.. to see the world for what it is rather than freezing in the north all my life." He was lying and she seemed to not notice how obvious he was being. Keith couldn't tell if that was an act or if she was onto him which was more than likely.

Lux Kept her eyes on his, resisting looking at the rest of him. He was only wearing a pair of Brown Trousers and black leather boots. She Didn't think to grab him a simple shirt or anything of the sort to cover him. '_He is nicely toned though.. Maybe just the occasional peep wouldn't hurt.._' She looked over his body, his lightly tanned skin brought out his muscle and really gave it kick. She looked back to his face and turned slightly red as he had a small smirk across his face.

"Enjoying yourself there? You said I was on trial just to find out who I am, and by the Prince of all people. Why would.. Jarvan the Fourth want to know me? Because I was involved in _some thing_ to do with a _Meteorite_ falling from the sky? I don't remember anything like that and I sure as hell don't remember getting hit by anything. I do remember falling however, that is one thing." He began to wonder if he fall _on_ the meteorite. But that was crazy, that couldn't happen.. Could it?

His thoughts were broken by the carriage hit a small bump in the Cobblestone road beneath them. Keith didn't once glanced out the windows. His eyes for fixated on Lux purely for the anticipation to see if this was reality, or a dream. He also wanted to see some magic, that was something he was very much interested in at this point.

"Are you able to use magic? I've heard of people using magic to call things down from the sky, but it's usually lightning or rain. Nothing like Meteorites. There is a first for everything and if you are capable of doing such a thing, you could be considered a threat to a lot of people." She seemed genuinely concerned for Keith. He could feel it in her voice but he had played this game before. She was digging for information about him to be used against him in his trial. He had to strengthen his alibi he already made with saying he was from the Freljord. He knew of the civil war between 3 factions in the freljord from the lore he read about the place, he needed to choose a side and play the act well. Avarosa was probably the easiest and least threatening to Demacia.

"I can't use magic, as far as I am aware. If it can I haven't been able throughout my life until now I suppose. I never really tried." He had to play better, he knew he was rusty but he had to play with what he was dealt. Lux's eyes widened as they entered a small tunnel, a few seconds of darkness and shuffling and they were back into the light of day, with a new passenger.

Keith's eyes shot to his right as he eyed what looked to be a wrist mounted crossbow. It had a small contraption on it which acted as an auto-loader. There was a small rack which contained what looked to be pure silver bolts. He raised his eyes to the one wielding it and met red sunglasses. He knew who _she_ was. Vayne, the Nighthunter. Why she had an interest in joining Keith and Lux in their little carriage ride to this 'Courthouse' was beyond Keith. He had no darkness about him, aside from maybe his odd eye color. This wasn't going to be fun.

"Hi v- miss..?" He almost said her name. He had to act dumb, even with the temptation of being a complete smartarse and knowing everyone that was a champion.

She snarled back at him with a look that could break steel. He smirked back at her, tempting her to just shoot. He knew she wouldn't if he was to be tried by Jarvan. Whatever was going on, he felt as though he should just enjoy in.

"Vayne please, Lower your weapon. He is to be tried in-" There was another small clock above Keith and Vayne, it read _12:57._ "3 minutes. OH WHAT!" The sudden shouting from Lux frightened the Driver of the Carriage who speed up the Carriage to a much faster pace. They were either going to be late, or they would get there any second.

They all glanced back at the clock simultaneously and sighed as it read _12:59_. The carriage came to a halt and Vayne kicked open the door to her left whilst also grabbing Keith by his silver hair. She tugged on him to get him out of the carriage, keeping her eyes on him the whole time. He fell to the ground gripping his hair with his hands as Vayne tugged. _'She is by no means gentle. Shit, she probably doesn't know the definition of Gentle'_

"Get up. You need to be in that courtroom now." Vayne's voice was deep for a woman, demanding and Intimidating. Keith got to his feet and dusted off his trousers. Lux grabbed him by the armor, eyeing Vayne as she did so. She was almost acting protective as she did so. She dragged him to a large double door and shoved him toward the doors which caused them to open and Keith to stumble onto the ground again. He mentally chuckled to himself. He was getting pushed around by Lux, the tiny light mage of Demacia. He had a small smile on his face has he got back to his feet again, only for it to disappear as he met the stares of a the large courtroom. All around him was what he presumed to be Nobles and their personal guards from all around Demacia. He met the eyes of Jarvan IV, the one and only.

"About time you arrived. What is your name?" He spoke with loudly with power and authority behind every word. He was staring back at Keith, his face devoid of emotion. Next him was an odd looking woman covered in red and golden armor. She was Dark purple skin and slightly darker hair. Her eyes looked as if they were fire itself before they snapped away from Keith toward Jarvan. Shyvana the Half-dragon was a lot more intriguing that any of the other people he had met so far. He was surprised to have met Her before Garen. He returned his eyes to Jarvan and walked toward the one empty seat in the room, one to the left of the Judge himself.

"Keith. You're Jarvan The fourth? I figured you'd be taller." Keith smirked at the statement. Jarvan was by no means short, just slightly shorter than Keith. Keith was 6 foot 5, the Prince only just shorter than that. Keith didn't look at the snarl the Prince gave him. The other people in the room gave quiet gasps and murmured to each other at the comment.

"You realize you can be executed for mocking the Crowned Prince and Exemplar of Demacia? I'd do it myself but you don't seem worth my time _boy_." He retorted with venom dripping from the last word. Keith was trying to resist snapping back at him, but the temptation got the better of him.

"Well you're here, and from I've heard, you are the one that called this trial into play. Good job me, I'm worth time for the Prince himself." He gave a toothy grin at Jarvan. He didn't seem to care. It was Shyvana instead who returned the glare to Keith. Noticing this, he felt as though he hit a nerve on the both of them. He wondered if he was over the edge by now, or just lingering a step from it.

A minute passed by of complete silence, everyone had taken their seats and the Judge began to speak. "We have gathered here on this day in a public act of Interrogation. This boy here, Keith so he calls his self, claims to be from the Freljord. Which part of the Freljord remains to be known. He has also claimed to be a traveler of sorts. He has also presented no Surname, something common in the Freljord as it is believed to be caused by the death of his parents, leaving him orphaned. Can you confirm you are an orphan?" The judge was an old man. He read the statements slowly and clearly, no one made a sound as he spoke with his strained tone.

"I can confirm, yes. I'm an orphan who ran away before getting thrown into any random house to be taken care of by people I don't know. I've been on the road for years." He glanced over at Shyvana. She was still glaring at him but she had a small smile on her face. '_Did she catch me out on the lie? Hopefully not.'_

His eyes searched over the room for something else to look at. He got a good look of the room at doing so. There were side doors that were all guarded by Soldiers in massive plate armor. They reminded Keith of Garen, just with a helmet to cover their heads and no Blue scarf around their necks.

"Can you present proof of your citizenship as part of the Freljord?" Keith was confused by the question. How the hell did they expect a sign of proof the he was from somewhere?

"How do you expect me to do that?" He didn't make eye contact with the Judge at all. He kept looking around the room. That walls were blank, made of chiseled stone. They seemed as if they were a slight yellow-grey in the sunlight that poured in through the few windows higher up in the Courtroom.

"Every Citizen of The Freljord has a blue tattoo marking which bloodline they represent. As we see no such thing on your upper torso or arms, would you kindly remove your pants. The women in the room gave off sounds of laughter which sounded more like a turkey's cry for help. All the men glanced around the room at the sudden noise, even Shyvana let out a small noise during it which received an odd glance from Jarvan. Keith couldn't pull this off now, not without something to fit. As he thought to his possibilities, he figured saying he was brought up by barbarians that didn't care about bloodline tattoos could work.

"I was raised by Barbarians. We didn't get our _Bloodline _Tattoos when we were young." He thought back on his story so far. He messed up. Going from saying he was a traveler to saying he was raised by barbarians didn't fit at all.

"Interesting statement you have there. You're a Traveler yet you say you were raised by barbarians. Any more lies you wish to present us with in this court, Keith?" Jarvan caught on. He wasn't stupid, but Many of the Nobles in the room obviously were. It took them a minute to put it together and notice the blatantly obvious lie.

"You refuse to tell us the truth. Let's start back at the beginning, what is your name?" Keith sighed, he wouldn't lie about his name. He didn't have a surname and he didn't want one. He had been caught out on his attempt at lying and he wasn't getting out of it now.

"I didn't lie about my name or that I am an orphan. Those are true." He finally found Lux and Vayne down toward the back of the courtroom. He could see the look on their faces. Vayne was disgusted while Lux look almost disappointed. Why this affected him so much was bothering him.

"Your honor, If I may. _Keith_ seems to be a bit distracted. So I propose a new approach to this." Jarvan was Smiling as he spoke, his voice unchanging and still holding the power it did before. The judge shifted his head in the Princes' Direction with a quizzical expression. "Proceed."

Jarvan IV stood from his seat and approached Keith in a slow stride. He was going to enjoy this. "I propose that we let ones skill determine who is truthful and who is a liar. I propose.. a Trial by combat." People let out loud noises of complaint and agreement. The room seemed half and half on this proposal. It was then Keith heard a chinging noise of a small pouch being handed to the judge from a guard behind him. _'He's being bribed?! Oh fuck off.'_ The judge then raised up a small hammer and slammed it down on his desk.

"Order Order! There will be order in this court!" The room immediately died down into silence. The judge held the power in this room. Keith couldn't believe this was going how it was. Bribing a judge? This was no Judge at all, this was a setup. The same pressure from before was rising in the back of Keith's mind again, the heat was pouring down the back of his neck. He took a glance behind him and saw no one. It felt as though someone was standing right there behind him. Jarvan and Shyvana stood, the judge eyeing them as they did so. The Prince cleared his throat, gaining the full attention of the room.

"We will continue this at the Coliseum, but first we must select who is to fight for Demacia against the accused." His attention was now fixated on to Keith. "You have a magical presence surrounding you. You are undoubtedly capable of using magic. It would be unfair to fight in a One-on-one if your opponent cannot use magic themselves. No, your opponent.." The prince fell into a state of contemplation on who would be the one to dual with him for this new trial. He had the perfect person in mind, someone that has yet to prove their strengths to Demacia. "Your opponent shall be Luxanna Crownguard. Luxanna, please step forth."

Keith's heart sank down ever so slightly. The girl that had cared for him and brought him here was to be the one he would fight. Keith wouldn't deny he felt some sort of _magic_ around him, if that is what the heat rising now in his chest was. He watched as Lux slowly walked forward into the middle of the courtroom for everybody to see. She had a small smile plastered across her face. She looked like she was about to faint as she approached the judge.

"Do you accept these terms, Miss Crownguard?" The judge spoke with pain in his voice. He knew she couldn't say no without dishonoring her family name, the most well know family in all of Demacia, next to the royal family. She took in a long breath as she met eyes with the judge, her smile wavering ever so slightly as the words escaped her lips.

"I d-do." Keith nearly felt the heat inside his chest erupt, it was mixed with anger and disgust at the situation. He didn't realize how much effort he was putting in to just staying quiet. The rest of the room was on the edge of their seats. Shyvana was still staring at Keith, adding on to staying where he was in silence.

"That settles it then. Everyone, to the Coliseum! We shall have this trial ended by dinner!" The judge shouted out to the room, earning a few odd looks at the mentioning of dinner. He wasn't exactly in shape like many of the nobles walking out the door. Vayne approached Keith and yanked him by the hair tossing him to the wall with Vayne pressing against him. The few soldiers around them had cuffs and with them. Lux was watching from where she stood, still in the centre of the room. Her smile was long gone by now.

Keith was cuffed and thrown to the ground, again by Vayne, and was half dragged out of the room. He stole a glanced at Lux who was still standing in the same place looking at Keith with a small smile on her face. The heat was spreading throughout Keith's body at this point, but the look on Lux's face seemingly caused it to die down for the moment. He left the room and lost vision of Lux, still being half dragged by Vayne as they re-entered the same Carriage they arrived in. He was thrown onto the same seat he was in on the way to the courthouse, his eyes now fixed on Vayne's red lens.

"I'm enjoying this about as much as you are. No one has yet to see Luxanna fight in a dual outside of training yet. Why the Prince pinned her against you is beyond me." Vayne's voice was different from before _'Did Lux say something to her back in the courtroom?' _His thought echoed for a second in his mind, before the brunt of the situation finally hit him.

"Fucking asshole of a Prince!"

_'Fucking asshole of a Prince'_

Keith shouted out verbally hoping as many people could hear him from where he was. Lux mentally shouted it out, her expression changing as she did into what must have been an angry glare at nothing in particular.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**Uh hi to whoever is reading. If you've read until now , GREAT :D Thanks and um yea. I Re-re-read through the last chapter and noticed a big thing.. it was presented terribly like wow. I decided to rewrite it because I wasn't happy with it so yup. That was fun. This is my first fanfiction, as well as the first time anyone has seen my writing, or typing in this case, aside from school assignments. I'll do my best but I won't know what to improve on without some constructive criticism on whatever that can improve this. So please leave a review or Pm me on what I could do to make this a better experience and a worthy read. I would greatly appreciate it so yeah. On to the next chapter!**

**Chapter two:**

The Darkness Rises

The people Present at the Trial were escorted a large construct of pillars and breams with seats going this way and that way. I surrounded a flat pit of yellow sand with several gates used for entries for 'participants' no doubt. The Coliseum itself was made of White Marble and Gold lining the edges of the many seats along the outside of the Arena. In the centre of the seats across from the main entrance sat a Large set of three seats, upon the three seats were King Jarvan III, to his left sat his son and heir Prince Jarvan IV and to his right, none other than Shyvana. Why she sat there, Keith didn't know.

Keith Caught the woman's gaze for a moment, the same fire from before was behind them, sending a shiver up his spine. Although the arena was filling with people flowing in from all around Demacia now, Keith wasn't bothered by them. He was more bothered about how powerful Lux was. Although this was a time before she was in the League of Legends, maybe even before the Institute was fully built, he knew was she was capable of. The light of Demacia was a powerful mage, if she was being forced to fight him he did not know. He knew Jarvan was going to enjoy this, it almost felt dark for The Exemplar of Demacia.

The gate in front of Keith gave a creaking sound before it slowly began to rise, allowing Keith to set foot into the Arena. The ground was a thin layer of sand, underneath was more marble. He looked around inside the arena surprised to see it completely empty of any sort of weaponry. They really expected him to use magic even though Keith technically knew nothing about magic. The gate at the opposite end on the arena slowly began to rise, drawing the attention of the now full Coliseum. After a few moments, Lux and her brother Garen walked out into view sending the crowd into an uproar of cheers and applause. Baton and sword in hand, the two approached the centre of the arena looking at nothing but Keith. Keith slowly approached where the stood, his mind was running circles with itself on what he was going to do, and if he did do _something_, he didn't want to hurt Lux, or anyone for that fact.

All eyes fell on the three in the arena, every man, woman, child and other-humanoids fell dead silent. Lux's smile was still across her face, though it was easy to tell it was as fake as this being a fair trial. Everything was one-sided in this situation and no one was going to root for the underdog in this one. Keith looked up at Garen, the man glared down at Keith putting him in bit of an amusing situation. His sight returned to Lux and she was looking back at him now, her smile wavering slightly as she looked at his Red eyes.

"You are being tried for suspicion of Noxian related activities as follows: Spying, attempted murder and thievery of intelligence. What say you in your defence?" Garen's loud booming voice echoed in the coliseum, the accusations being complete bullshit, yet they earned a few gasps and murmurs within the crowd. This was going to be a dive straight into the deep end for Keith.

"You know that's all bullshit as much as you know that '_judge_' was just a bribed Noble of some sort. That goes to you too Jarvan! This is all a laugh for you to get something exciting in your instead of your little _chores_!" Garen wavered in his expression for a moment. Keith had caught them out with a hunch and he knew it. The crowd was still silent, only to be broken by the Half-dragon herself.

"You think Demacia full of petty lies and worthless scum like that of Noxus?! Jarvan let me take him on, this filth is in need of true punishment! He isn't worthy for a trial through combat! Weak is an understatement for this _boy_." Her voice dripped with venom as she spoke, the fury within her words shooting fear into many of the people in the surrounding audience. They knew the power of the Half-dragon and feared her for the destruction she was capable of.

Keith would have preferred Shyvana to be his opponent for the fact he didn't know _if_ something would happen during this dual. Ever since Jarvan stated he seemed capable of some sort of magical ability, he has been pondering on the thought every few minutes at if he really was or not. His mind quickly fell under that same pressure as the heat began to rise again, only to subside moments later. _'What is that heat?'_ He didn't want to use whatever it was on Lux, if he couldn't control it, he might kill her. Shyvana would be able to take it surely.

"Hey I agree with her on this one, why not let her do whatever her meaning of punishment is rather than waste Luxanna's time here? Surely she has something better to do." Jarvan was resting his head on this right hand whilst he was seated. He lowered his hand to his side and stood. He had a devious smirke across his face directed down at Keith. He was enjoying this too much, he was showing it now and didn't care for the looks it got him.

"I Believe Luxanna Crownguard is the opponent for you. She did step forward for this and accepted willingly, knowing exactly what she was getting into. She is your opponent. No more will be said about this, speak your judgments and the victorious shall receive their wishes. Luxanna, give us your judgment." The crowd was bursting with anticipation. Although they were silent as the Prince spoke, the pressure was rising on Keith for his own life was at stake.

"If I am to be victorious in this trial of combat, Keith is to be executed in this very arena by my hand. Nothing more." She was trembling inside, she wouldn't do this willingly and Keith knew it. As powerless as he felt, he had to fight. He would not die the first day he reawakened on a new world. He had to do something, anything to not kill or be killed and still win this.

A searing pain swept across the back of his neck and it felt as though someone was right behind him. Before he could turn, a voice echoed painfully in his head, it's voice full of anger, much more piercing than Shyvana's. "_I WILL NOT LET MY VESSEL DIE THIS DAY! I WILL LEND YOU A FRAGMENT OF MY POWER TO USE; IT WILL GROW INSIDE YOU, IT WILL CONSUME YOU FOR MY SAKE SO THAT I WILL ONE DAY BE FREE!" _The voice lingered in his head for a few moments more before the searing pain in his neck travelled all throughout his body. As Clouds covered the sun, rain began to pour into the arena. Magical barriers were summoned above the Citizens in the seats around the arena, stopping the rain before it hit them. The arena itself was not covered and soon the sand underneath them was soggy and compact with water.

Jarvan shifted his gaze to the sky for a moment, as if wondering if this were natural rain or the work of some magic. '_There is going to be a storm with these kind of clouds_.' Jarvan smirked to himself. This was going to be very interesting to simply watch. The outburst from Shyvana was already very amusing. "Accused, what is your _Judgment_?" Jarvan wasn't prepared for his answer. He didn't care for what Keith had to say, it wouldn't matter. If only he knew about the growing power in Keith right now.

Keith stood there before the voice returned, this time in a more friendly and reasonable tone. "_I suggest you ask for enough gold for a full set of clothes, travelling supplies, a warm cloak and a few bits of light armor. Just.. trust me on this, I might have frightened you before with my bad side showing with all the echoing and such in your head. That shard won't consume you, I forgot you're from Earth._" Keith was confused. All he could think in his head was a single question. '_who the fuck are you?_' The voiced gave a small chuckle, it was a deep voice, one that carried years of knowledge and pain, yet it still had a bit of a childish ring in it. "_I'll tell you later, just answer with what I said and I'll handle my po- I mean _our _powers. You Earthlings have much easier time channeling my power throughout your body._"

Still confused at what was happening in his head, he prepared for the confused stares he was about to receive. "If I win, I want free passage out of Demacia with supplies. I'll specify later." He tried to keep his gaze on Jarvan, but the confused looks he got from Lux and Garen, drew his eyes to them. They were expecting something more costly judging by their faces.

King Jarvan's curiosity was struck with this 'Judgment'. It was more of a request if anything, but none-the-less it would be honored by himself personally. He didn't see Keith capable of pulling off the accusations against him. His brow furrowed in confusion as to why his son, the Prince of Demacia was so against this boy. He was seemingly harmless from what he could see. He did not want to ruin his own son's reputation as the exemplar of Demacia and heir to the throne by stopping this Trial. As a king of one of the two most powerful City-states of Runeterra, he felt powerless for the first time.

The Prince, noticing the distress on the King's face, put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, his face returned a warm smile. No words needed to be spoken between the two, they understood each other more than anyone. The Prince returned to his seat as the King stood from the throne, his legs struggling to keep him up due to his old age. He held within his right hand a golden staff with small shards and spheres of light rotating around the top end of the staff. He leaned on it slightly as if it were more of a walking stick now.

"The judgments have been said. This Trial will now come to pass. I would ask those that do not wish to see battle in this arena, leave now. Those that would speak forth in defence of the accused, speak now." A few moments of silence flew by. No one would speak against someone under trial by demand of the Prince himself. "Very well. Proceed. Magic is your source of combat in this trial. No weapons unless they are of Magical properties. No interference from the spectators of this trial. This battle is until submission, or death. May the gods watch over this battle and guide us to the light." The King brought up the staff for a moment, the lights around the head of the staff grew in light as he did so. He brought the staff back down to the ground with a thud. The lights fell down to the platform and shot out the sides of the arena, a bright light surrounding the arena as if to act as a barrier against the battle that was about to commence. Garen whispered something inaudible to Keith before leaving the Arena. He passed through the gate Keith came from and disappeared in the dark hallway. He would've been ordered to receive Keith's corpse after his execution.

Keith felt the heat in his body come to rest in his chest. It was pulsing, urging him to make a move. He was putting a lot of resistance into just moving even his fingers to help keep him occupied. He felt as though he was visibly shaking. It was overwhelming him with every passing second. But for the time being he was waiting for Lux to make her move. The two had separated and were now circling around the arena. The anticipation to see what Keith could do was growing, not just by Keith himself, but by everyone present in the arena. He was drenched by the rain with a small amount of steam coming off of his body from the heat he was giving off.

It then struck him, Literally. A bolt of lightning shot down into Keith, the sudden shock throughout his body was flowing through him, accelerating his every movement. To his eyes, everything looked as if it were playing in half the speed it normally would. He brought his hands up and let out small bolts toward Lux, they were non-lethal but had enough kick to shock someone into an unconscious state.

Lux retaliated by throwing her baton out toward Keith, just stopping short from where he was. He knew what this was, a protective shield of light. It was barely visible around her small form. Her baton flew back toward her, the first of the few bolts striking the shield, only to bounce off and dissipate in the air. It left behind small pockets in the air, a sort of white mist. She caught her Baton, recharging her shield as she did, causing the rest of the bolts to bounce of as those before it did. More pockets of mist appeared as they too faded out into the air.

Keith was eyeing the small clouds left behind by the bolts. The voice in his head came through once again in the same controlled voice as before. "_Those are shards of our power. We take time to charge up _'spells'_ as you put it. I personally call it natural ability but that's because it is natural to a Nephe- I mean natural to me. Before you question anything, I suggest you duck and weave._" The voice became distant again as Keith refocused on what was happening. Spheres of light were flying toward Keith at high speeds. Even with his heightened speed from the lightning, they were moving quickly and were difficult to dodge.

As Keith moved, Lux couldn't help but be amazed with what she was seeing. A random Traveler as he claimed to be cannot be capable of such powers. His movements sent out vibrations of his body as if he was slowly becoming white mist like the small pockets of mist around her. It hit her as she realized they might be dangerous so she began to move to the right while she kept throwing her light binding spells at him. He began moving to his right as the circling continued yet bolts and lights clashed together. He began to feel his body resisting what he wanted it to do, the voice came back to him. "_Your body is beginning to exhaust itself. The movement is still using your regular body's energy. This isn't good, I have to change something about that real quick.. this might hurt. A lot._"

She stopped mid cast of a spell as Keith kneeled over screaming in pain. She hadn't managed a hit yet he was all of a sudden in an immense about of pain. His forehead hit the sand on the ground with a thud, still screaming out at the pain rushing through him. Lux couldn't help but stand there and watch as his body began to change. His Silver hair began to change into a deep black colour, his skin changing from a pale like tone to more of a tanned and his eyes changing from Red to a bright green with yellow pupils. The small amount of scruff he had on his chin grew into a short length black beard. His expression changed from that of a calm one to one full of fury. The muscles on his body grew making him appear like a man who trained hours for a military.

The pain in Keith's body stopped as he lifted himself up from the group. The speed he had not moments again, now faded into the steam coming off of his new body. He felt taller as he stood. He stretched his arms as he stood and rolled his shoulders. After a satisfying click in his back, he stared back at Lux with his new eyes. He felt as though he could see clearer. "_Your vision wasn't the best you know. This is the world with my eyes. I did a little peeping through your memories by the way. Why is it that I can't see much on Earth? I mean, I don't see people or places. Just names and blood. Wh-_" He was cut off as Keith called out to Lux.

"I'm sorry for what is about to happen, but I have no intention of dying here. You'll forgive me one day." Without giving Lux a chance to reply, Keith vanished in the blink of an eye and appeared not 3 inches from Lux's face. She sent out a small yelp as Keith's hand flew to the left side of her face and sent a shock throughout her entire body causing her to fall limply to the ground.

The crowd sent out gasps at what they just witnessed. Garen ran out from an opening gate behind Keith to his sister. He stopped as Keith turned to face him, his face full of fury and grief. Garen believed the worst had become of his sister. "Is she..?" Garen's voice was on the edge of breaking. The big soldier did have a heart, even if it didn't show from time to time.

"She isn't dead. She is in a coma, one that will remain on her until I leave the walls of Demacia with what I need. Where I'm headed is the Freljord. I'm sure you know what I'll need in terms of supplies." Keith and Garen were almost snarling at each other like beasts, the two could seemingly break glass if it were between them. Their staring contest was broken by the thud in the direction of the King.

The King was stood on the platform once again as his staff was raised into the air again, causing the barrier surrounding the arena to dissipate and form the several lights around the head of the King's staff once again. He was looking down at Keith with a disgruntled face.

"You would think we can simply let you go after you kill one of Demacia's most prized mages of light?! How _dare_ you!"

Keith almost face-palmed as he looked back at the King his hands raised to either side of him showing a sign of no harm. "She isn't dead, she will reawaken the moment I have what I need so I can leave for the Freljord. You can Chase me, put bounties on me for my head, hell you can try kill me right here, right now. It will only lead to wasted effort. If you want proof, check to see if she is breathing. Simple." Not a moment passed by and Garen dashed toward his sister, the many people of Demacia standing in watch, frozen by anticipation. '_They're acting like an audience at their first movie.._' Keith thought to himself.

"_The hell is a movie?_" He forgot the other guy could read his mind.

Garen picked up his sister and brought his check down to her face. He could feel the faint breeze from her mouth, confirming she was still with them. "She is alive. I will take her home to be cared for, what are your orders my King?" The King shifted his gaze from Keith to the Leader of the Dauntless Vanguard and let out long sigh of relief.

"Take her home Vanguard. I will personally deal with seeing Keith out of Demacia." The King was uncomfortable being so close to the man before him. His appearance had changed the moment he stopped screaming in the unexplained pain that fell upon him. He wondered if his new appearance was the cause. A second after the thought of Keith's new appearance left the Kings mind, his hair, eyes and skin color changed back into the same silver, light tan and red they were before. '_What is he?_'

Jarvan IV was already out of the arena. He left the moment Keith reappeared next to Lux and shocked her into that coma. He was organizing a single man to tail Keith once he had left. Then the thought crossed his mind. '_Man..? No. A woman.. someone that wants a challenge._' He had the perfect person for the task in mind. _'She may be a noble, but this will be her challenge. perfect.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**

**Heyyooo readers. I got a few reviews and stuff, as well as a few pms with a few tips/questions. To clear up one big thing; This doesn't follow the lore ENTIRELY. If I were to do that, I'd feel as though it'd restrict me a bit in what I'm writing and wanting to write. So apologies if you came here wanting to read something ENTIRELY lore based. Did I already say this was my first fanfic? I think I did, anyways on with the late chapter 3 (I don't have a schedule x_x don't hate me.)**

**Chapter 3**

The Path is Set

Having left the Coliseum, Keith was now surrounded by Hundreds of the Dauntless Vanguard, keeping him separated from the King and Garen. Garen held Lux close as she slumbered in his arms. He had made the decision of bringing his sister along with him.

He didn't trust Keith, but admitted to himself that he couldn't be alongside Lux when she awakened without leaving his post if she was taken back to their home. The sky had long since cleared from the time of their battle, blue sky was what greeted them with the last few clouds beginning to dissipate above them. They were on the streets now, walking toward what Keith assumed to be a market of some sorts.

He figured Demacians to hold some sort of honor for how these 'Trials' came about. He had the thought of questioning why the Prince was so against him, then thought again as he supplied his own answer. Maybe he felt as though Keith was a threat? He could understand that, noting that he had some _form_ of power now.

They continued on moving through the crowds of people, slowly growing denser by the minute. They must be in the district for where the Nobles bought or sold all their goods. Shouts of people behind market stalls could be heard in every direction, with the king in, what Keith could only describe as, a box carried by people wearing white robes. _'Slaves? Or maybe servants..' _

The Box swayed slightly as the servants carried the box on wooden poles. The poles were covered in markings and patterns of dragons, lions and other sorts of animals. The box itself was made of Mahogany and metal. The wood was colored white and blue whereas the Metal was tainted gold and silver. It reflected the sunlight off into the people, making the people hide their eyes from the beams of light. The two window like holes on either side of the box were draped(?) with white and gold Curtains. _'What is it with Demacia and white, blue and gold? It's literally everywhere.'_

As a reflection of light hit Keith's face, he turned his head in the opposite direction and looked around at where they were now at. Hundreds, if not thousands of people were streaming in and out of one central place. The market by itself look as if it could make a small town. There were people everywhere selling, buying, bartering and scolding the few kids that tried to make off with something. More than likely thieves. His attention was caught on a small Blacksmith's shop. As he looked the place over, his vision became somewhat blurry, a small pressure rising in the back of his head, the same from when he was in the little battle with Lux. _"We need to go there, the old coot that runs the place has something of mine. I hope you don't mind a little bit of light armor and padding.. as well as my old sword. I think you'll like it."_

Keith froze in place. The guards surrounding came to a halt just as he did and eyed him cautiously. They were trained for combat, not dealing with lightning everywhere. The King in his 'Box of safety' came to a stop and was place on the ground. The King exited out of his box and was handed his staff, the same he used to create the barrier around the arena in the Coliseum. The lights that once rotated around the head of the staff were now resting in place on the staff itself. Again, using it as more of a walking stick to help hold his weight, he walked slowly toward Keith, only stopping just outside of arms reach. A group of five servants approached Keith from behind the King and turned back toward their King, bowing their heads in respect as they did so. Stroking his white beard, the King looked at Keith's face. He still didn't understand why his son was against him. Even after displaying the amount of power he had, he didn't seem interested in hurting innocents, like the many that surrounded them now. "Where do you plan to go once you leave Demacia, traveler?"

His voice croaked slightly as he spoke. He didn't show any sign of being in danger, nor was he fearful or wary of Keith's appearance. His eyes were still fixed on Keith as he awaited his answer. _Did he even hear me?_

"Freljord. I'm headed to the Freljord. I think you could guess as to what I'll need for the journey there." Keith returned the look the King had been giving him, only for the King to break it at the moment he received an answer. He nodded his head at the servants behind him, giving them the permission to leave in search of the supplies needed for a one way journey to the frozen north.

The pressure returned in his head, causing him to lock his eyes on the Blacksmith's shop again. _"Go over to the blacksmith's stall now. I won't let you leave without getting that sword." _

The King turned his gaze in the direction Keith had focused his attention to and let out a sigh. The north was unforgiving for those that didn't fight to survive. With the civil dispute in the north between the Avarosa and the Winter's Claw, along with the bone-chilling temperature drops during the many blizzards they were forced to fight through, was unforgiving to those that were ill-equipped for the cold. It sent a shiver down the King's spine as he thought of it. Still, he knew Keith would want some protection if he were to ever be ran down by barbarians or one of the many predators from the north. "We'll get you some armor from that Blacksmith, however you are to remain here under guard until the servants return."

Keith could feel the pressure in his head returning, but before it could speak, he cleared his throat in an attempt to speak. "I would prefer going to that Blacksmith myself. I only want a few specific pieces, rather than what these vanguard are wearing."

The pressure died down again, earning a sigh from Keith as it did so. The king looked back toward Keith and gave a small shrug. "If it gets you out of Demacia faster, so be it. The state Luxanna is in is unsettling to many people around Demacia."

Keith immediately set of toward the Blacksmith's shop. A few of the guards following behind him as he made his way through the crowd of civilians. After a few minutes of passing by nobles and their personal guards and servants, he stood at the entrance of the shop. Off to the left of the building itself was a forge with an anvil and a whetstone. Something that caught Keith's attention was an odd looking mechanism which held a large flat sided boulder above one that looked almost identical. The pressure in Keith's head returned, only very slightly. _"It's a presser. It's used to press metals together, those rocks weigh a few tons."_

The pressure died down again before Keith could respond in any way, earning a short sigh as he continued to look the presser over. There were ropes tied to the top boulder. A wooden wheel held up by a wooden beam acted as a support for the ropes. There were two more wooden beams around the boulders which also acted as supports for the ropes. The wheel seemed to make some of the ropes tighten or loosen their hold on the top boulder, causing it to lower or raise back into the air.

After looking the Presser over one last time, he returned to the entrance of the shop. Rather than a door, it was an open entrance with small beads hanging from string from the ceiling of the doorway down to the ground. He pushed them apart and entered the shop. He was greeted by a young boy in his early teen years. He wore a big smile as he welcomed Keith into the store. The boy spoke quickly in a different language, he seemed ecstatic to have a customer. Keith raised his hands at the boy to stop him from dragging through the shop. It was then the guards that were following Keith through the many people outside in the market entered through the doorway of strung beads. They eyed Keith and the boy, before noticing the many weapons around the store. They weren't anything like the broadswords they were equipped with. Keith noticing the guards looking around in the store did the same. Long slightly curved swords held in scabbards made of a rough looking cloth were placed on the walls, sitting on Nails that were hammered halfway into the walls. There were odd looking pikes and shorter blades that were roughly a third in length of the swords on the walls. There were long wooden bows, much too big to look very effective at certain distances placed in racks on the far wall at the back of the store.

At the counter, an old man stood watching the whole scene play out before him. His face was expressionless and craggy, he looked to be older than the King. He was bald on the top of his head and the little white strands hair he did have were only on the sides and on the back of his head. Lines covered his face from his old age. He had a scar along the right of his forehead stopping as it touched his brow. His eyes were colorless, now showing a light grey is it's place. His gaze was fixed on Keith. His eyes switched to the guards before a brief look of realisation ran across his face.

"You are one from arena? You fight with magic? why are you.. why you here in my shop?" He had an accent that reminded Keith of a few people he once met from a middle-western country on earth. The few words he missed in each sentence almost threw Keith of in understanding what the man had asked. He refocused on what he needed and cleared his throat in an attempt to speak.

"I need some light armor. Just some padding, nothing heavy. A Chest piece, shoulder guards, Shin guards, arm guards and gauntlets. There is.. also something else that I want- no need." Keith's eyes shot over to the guards in the room, their eyes still fixed on Keith. They were watching his every move and listening to every word. The old man bowed his head slightly and walked out behind the store. A few minutes passed and he came back with the pieces Keith had requested. Keith looked over all the pieces as they were placed on the counter. He began to pick up the chest piece before looking at the man behind the counter. He gave Keith a small nod, giving Keith the go to put on all the pieces. After a few minutes, and a small bit of help from the young boy in the room, Keith pulled the last strap on his right handed gauntlet and looked over himself. The armor and Chest piece were a light grey and were made of a strong flexible leather with small metal plating along the backhand sides of the gauntlets and arm guards. The shoulder guards were made of a thick metal with leather on the bottom to make them more comfortable. The shin guards were the same as the shoulder guards. A thick metal with leather underneath them. All the metal had patterns of waves and leaves on them.

A thought then occurred to Keith that these people that ran this Blacksmith shop were Ionian. Judging by the state of the store, they didn't receive much business here in Demacia. _That explains the nails being used as "display shelves"._

The pressure began to rise in his head. He subconsciously brought a hand to the back of his head and scratched it slightly as it stopped rising. _"You know, you don't look half bad in what you've got on now. Now about that sword, repeat after me. 'Thgil fo drows, ssenkrad fo drows. Noivilbo fo edalb That's all! A small chant! Just.. don't say it too loud. Don't want the kid to hear. Might make him run off screaming."_

The voice fell silent, but the pressure remained in its place. It felt as though it were the beginning of a migraine. Shrugging it off, he approached the counter with the old man before attempting to repeat the small 'Chant' that he heard in his head. He leaned in slightly toward the Ionian man and quietly repeated each word. To Keith it felt as though he were speaking backwards, and as he muttered this chant, a shiver went down his spine making him rather uncomfortable. The man bowed his head slightly, the same way he did before and walked out to the back of the shop again. He returned a few moments later with a small step ladder. The guards were looking between the two with confused expressions under their helmets. A couple of them now rested their hands on the hilts of their swords which hung loosely from either side of their waist.

The man placed the step ladder down in front of him. Above him was a cabinet, one that looked large enough to hold a few of the swords that sat on nails along the walls. He took a couple steps up the small ladder before pulling out a small key, made of black and white colored metal.

The key was inserted inside a small lock on the center of the cabinet and unlocked it with a loud click. The doors squeaked open, revealing a dusty old black sword with glowing white markings etched into the blade. Aside from the odd color and markings, it could pass off as a simple bastard sword. Next to the sword was a black leather scabbard with two long straps attached to the midsection of the sheath.

The Ionian hovered his hand over the hilt of the blade before retracting it and lifting the sword by the metal itself. It seemed as if he was avoiding the handle with a certain level of caution. Keith noticed his movements were odd and saw that he was shaking ever so slightly as he slipped the blade into its black leather hold. He couldn't tell if it was because of his age, or if it was out of a sense of fear. After a long few minutes of watching and waiting, the old man raised the sword, now resting in the aged leather wrap, he placed it on the counter in front of Keith, his hands still shaking as they released their grip on the weapon.

Keith began to raise his hands up to the counter, closing his hands around the sword, avoiding the hilt as he did so. The sword had an eerie feel to it, like the air surrounding every inch of the sword was cold and dark. What surprised Keith was the warmth of the leather around the sword. It was soothing to touch but still had the cold air surrounding it. He brought the sword toward him, as he did so the guards drew their own swords, one of them approaching Keith slowly.

The old Ionian slowly made his way to the approaching Demacian and put his hand on the soldiers shoulder. The guard turned his head in his direction and saw the Ionian was shaking his head. Keith on the other hand was busy tying the straps around his waist to act as a belt of sorts with the weapon hanging on his left side. After a pulling the two straps tight in a makeshift knot, he looked over to the guards still eyeing him. He raised his hands to show he wasn't going to use it to make a bit of the tension in the room lessen ever so slightly.

A man wearing the same white cloth robes the other servants were wearing casually strolled into the store carrying a small crate. He walked past the guards and stopped beside the old Ionian and gave him a small bow of respect, at which the Ionian returned in the same manner. The servant then placed the wooden container at the Ionians feet and removed the top of it to show what was held inside. Gold. Gold coins were packed to the brim of the crate to act as payment for the armor. The servant then looked around the room before returning his eyes to the Ionian. "King Jarvan III Lightshield sends his regards. This is to act as payment for what that man over there has requested, as well as compensation for having this place properly built and reworked. The crate contains 3000 gold pieces. The King hopes this place to be more appealing for future business and looks forward to a future trades deal with the people of Ionia. He wishes to start this trade with your small shop right here in the Demacian walls. May the future be prosperous and bring Justice to the people of Demacia."

This servant spoke very clearly, with a form of authority in his voice. The old man lowered his head and peered into the box. His eyes widened at how much gold was inside. He almost looked as if he were about to have a heart attack. Looking behind him, the young boy stood in the doorway with a wide smile on his face, his eyes wide with excitement. He said something short in Ionian to the man before rushing forward and putting the top of the crate back on its place and helping the old man lift the box out to the back of the shop. Before they disappeared out the back of the shop, he turned his head to Keith with a small smile on his face. "Th-thank you.. stranger."

He continued out the back of the store and shut the door behind him with a loud thud. The servant, taking that action as an agreement on the deal, turned to Keith and gave him a small bow before giving a small cough to gain his attention. Keith turned his head to the man and gave a small nod. "Your travelling supplies are waiting just outside. The King has hired a carriage to take you to the gates of Demacia and will depart shortly. I suggest you get out there now. I will be seated with you to ensure you have what you need. We will also be joined by the leader of the Dauntless Vanguard, Garen Crownguard. He.. still has Luxanna with him. He wishes to speak with you before you leave."

"Alright. Just one thing; I'm using you as a meat shield if he lashes out at me with that ridiculously oversized sword. Deal?" The discomfort showed on the servants face, earning a smirk from Keith. He gave a short sigh before recomposing himself and giving a short nod.

One by one, they left the store through the same beads they disturbed when they walked in. Guards surrounded the outside of the store, causing the surrounding crowd to walk around them and filter through a much smaller gap than before. Some of the people stopped to watch as Keith exited the blacksmith's store before continuing on with their errands in the afternoon sun.

It must have been late in the afternoon. The sun was beginning to descend in the blue-orange sky. The glare it gave off on Keith's face made him raise a hand to his eyes in an attempt to block out some of the sunlight hitting his eyes like many of the people doing so before with the King's little transport reflecting the light from earlier.

The carriage was similar to the one Keith had been in before with Lux and Vayne. Speaking of which, both those women were seated inside the transport along with Garen and the now entering servant. Keith looked around and found several other servants holding various pieces of equipment. One had a bag that looked like an undersized travelling pack yet it remained large enough to contain the supplies he was given for his trek to the winter north; the Freljord. Another was holding a much smaller bag with several straps running along it. He was confused as to where that would be worn until the servant approached Keith and Knelt down on his right side and began attaching the small to this right thigh. The one with the larger backpack began placing it on Keith, earning a small bit of resistance as he refused to lift his arms for a moment. Another approached him after the two packs were secured in place on his body. She held a large furred white cloak. With the help of the other two that placed the packs on Keith, they brought his arms through the long sleeves and tied the small straps on the neck area together. The cloak was like a long thick cape with a hood, now pulled over his head.

With how he looked now, Keith felt he was like a sort of mercenary for hire. He approached the Carriage and climbed inside. With only enough room for him to be seated next to Vayne, he took it with a slight shiver as he thought of what she is capable of and what she does. They eyed each other before Vayne placed her red lenses glasses back over her eyes. She began fiddling with her wrist-mounted crossbow as she eyed the sword on Keith's lap. He had removed the scabbard from the now leather belt so he could sit comfortably in the transport with the Demacians. He sat on the right side of the carriage with a view outside of a small window.

Garen inaudibly muttered something as he moved a few strands of hair from Lux's sleeping face. He had placed her so she was sitting next to him, he body leaning against his right arm. Her head didn't quite reach his shoulder guard due to their difference in height. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, but Garen couldn't help be concerned for his little sister. His stoic expression hid the emotion from the others, even though all eyes were now on Keith. Garen let out a short grunt as he looked over Keith's little transformation in what he was now wearing. He was still angry, but his honor for serving Demacia held him from striking at the man before him. He seemed no more than a boy when he first saw him, now he was a threat. A threat to the Crown, a threat to Demacia. But most of all, a threat to his family.

"You had something to say Garen? Go on, spit it out." Keith had been Staring back at Garen with a certain curiosity to what he had to say to him. The carriage had begun to roll through the streets toward the gates while Keith spoke, they would be there in less than an hour. Garen recomposing himself from the sudden movement of the four wheeled construct.

"You defeated my sister in one on one combat, the strongest mage of Demacia. You humiliated her in front of the entirety of our people! You are dishonorable and a threat to the people of Demacia!" His voice was beginning to rise as he spoke. He was clearly infuriated at what was happening. He wanted Justice. Instead they were letting a man who brought shame upon the Crownguard family name go.

"Go on. I know you have more in there." Garen lowered his brow as he glared at Keith, making as much of an intimidating look as he could. He couldn't bear with how Keith was edging him on like this.

"You are capable of much destruction! If you weren't under protection of your victory in this trial, I would strike you down like the vile scourge you are! You're no better than _Noxian scum_!" Garen was now yelling at the boy, earning a few stares from passing people outside. Keith had a smirk at how Garen was behaving. With how unjustly the events had been up to this point, he wondered if Demacia truly was seeking Justice, or about as unjust as crooked cops back on earth.

"Garen keep your voice down, you might wake Lux from her sleep. She looks rather peaceful." Keith was thrilled to be taunting Garen. He had a wide smirk plastered across his face at this little hissy fit he was throwing in an attempt to mock Keith.

"Shut your mouth, filth. Once you are out of Demacia, you should hope to hold up your end of-" He gestured toward Lux's resting form. "This. Whatever you did to her, just wake her, just make sure she awakens from this curse." His voice had lowered significantly. It was almost reaching the point of a whisper near the end. He couldn't handle the loss of his sister at her age.

"Garen, how.. old is she?" Keith was genuinely unsure of how old Lux was. He's 21. Garen looked like he was in his mid twenties. Lux looked like she was still in her teen years, leaning toward being 17 or 18. Thinking back to what he saw of her on earth, she looked about 19 or even 20 to him.

Garen was taken aback by the question. He had thought it obvious of how old Lux was. He looked down at Lux before looking back to Keith and let out a short, silent sigh. "She is 18. Although she is young, her ability in what she can do is unmatched within Demacia. Why do you ask?"

A sense of confusion entered Keith's mind, a small bit of it showing on his face. _'Only 16? Was I wrong about her age before or am I just a couple years in the past before the League actually.. exists?'_

"Well.. I figured she was slightly older. My bad." Keith chuckled to himself at the sight of Garen's face. He looked confused at the new situation of what he was saying. The whole scenario had taken a turn in how it was unfolding. Garen let out a sigh before putting his mind back on track, shoving the small curiosity he had out of his mind.

"I still have things to say. It will be a long while before Demacia moves forward from this day. You have shown Demacia that wherever you are from, anyone can achieve great power. Aside from all this, the last thing needed to be said is this; Thank you." It was Keith's turn to be surprised by what was said. Even Vayne raised her eyebrows in surprise. The servant to Garen's right sat there, speechless. This wasn't something anyone anticipated from the Might of Demacia. Keith let out a small cough before his face turned expressionless.

"Why thank me? What have I done for you that leads you to thank me for it?" Keith's tone had become serious. No one ever thanked him out of the blue like this. Keith couldn't think of anything that Garen was referring to.

"I thank you for not taking my sister's life. This small difference in the few outcomes that were possible in this trial, I did not expect this." Keith gave a small sigh. He didn't know what it was like to have siblings, he was an only child that became an orphan at a very young age. A few memories flowed through his mind for a moment, causing his overall expression to change into one of anger for a moment. His hand fell onto the Hilt of the sword he had resting on his lap, sending a shock throughout his body. The pressure at the back of his head disappeared. He didn't realize it was still there from back at the blacksmith's shop until it completely vanished. His mind went blank as the shock throughout his body sent him unconscious, only to hear a scream from a girl nearby.

Keith's eyes shot open the moment he regained consciousness. He was still sitting in the Same carriage he was in from leaving the Demacian market. Across from him was Lux, she was awake now, but everyone else was asleep. Vayne, Garen and the Servant were all leaning back in their seats, their eyes shut in a deep slumber. Lux noticed Keith was awake now, and a small smile appeared on her face.

"You're awake! Thank the gods! I've been in this weird world for a few hours now, ever since you shocked me! What is going on Keith? Why is everyone asleep?" Keith couldn't help but feel somewhat speechless at what she meant by 'World'. All the light around them seemed as if it were seen through dark shades. The carriage was still moving but the streets were complete devoid of life. Not a single person could be seen except for those in the Carriage. Something odd was going on.

"I don't know where we are, or why everyone is asleep. I can say how I got here though." He gestured to the sword on his lap. His hand was still firmly grasped around the hilt and he felt an odd burning sensation running up his arm. The pressure that was in his head returned before disappearing as fast as it came. Lux let out a quiet yelp as something seemed to be flowing out of Keith's left ear.

"K-Keith! What is that flowing out of your ear?" She raised her hands to her face, covering her eyes at the sight. It was thick black smoke slowly spewing out of Keith's ear. He looked to his left to see it slowly forming into what appeared to be a man around Keith's height. He was completely featureless. His face had no eyes, no mouth, a small bulge which seemed to represent a nose and no hair to speak of. Once the small flow of black mist stopped, the 'man' let out what could've been similar to a cough.

"_Hello. Uhh, I wasn't expecting you to grab the hilt of that blade while we were still in Demacia, or in the company of.. What was your name again miss?"_ It's voice sounded echoed and raspy, like someone who had smoked for several years in a cave. Lux eyed the man before her eyes shot to Keith in a pleading look for help. All she received was a small shrug in response.

"My name is.. Luxanna Crownguard. Who are you, and why did you come out of Keith's ear?" The figure simply gave a chuckled at the last few words. Although it was difficult to tell, it looked as if there were a large grin on his face.

"Keith, I see why you like her. She resembles that girl from your home quite a bit, doesn't she?"

"Wha-" Keith was cut off as the man began to speak again. A small blush crept onto Keith and Lux's faces.

"_Now with that out of the way, Luxanna, this world is one of which people enter through something called Arcanic-Rending-combustion. It's harmless to living humans, the same can't be said for other creatures however. I personally call it A.R.C, just sounds better than Arcanic-Rend- you get what I mean. What it does is sends an overload of raw arcane energy throughout the person, or creatures, body which causes the brain to blackout for a second. For humans, they fall unconscious. For other creatures, their brain sort of.. melts into a goo. The only real problem with the spell is it requires physical contact." _He took in a large breath, the thick shadow he was made of sending out a small vibration of sorts.

"Hold up, you're the thing that has been talking to me? The one that gave me that power and sent me through agony, even if it were only temporary, just so I could continue living?" Keith was confused. The voice sounded exactly the same as the one that had spoken to him a few times. Now it sat next to him as if it had been in the carriage the whole time.

"_Yes. Is that a problem?"_ He leaned toward Keith in a somewhat opposing manner as if challenging Keith in some sort of way. Keith simply shrugged and looked out the window. They were nearing the Gates of Demacia. Any minute now and they would be arriving there.

"_Good. To explain what this world is would take too long, but you will not awaken until Keith is out of those gates. Simple. I made him say that and until the conditions are met, you will remain here until I say otherwise. You could basically say I am the creator of this dream world."_ Keith and Lux locked eyes at what had been said, a question then began to rise in the both of them, oddly enough they were thinking the same thing.

"What happens if I leave then walk back into Demacia?"

"What happens if he leaves then comes back into Demacia?"

They both looked at each other and their cheeks began to slowly turn slightly red as they realized they asked the same thing, albeit worded differently. The dark man let out a long drawn breath, causing the same vibrations from before to rush over his body.

"_If he does that, you will remain awake, but Demacian forces will be on his ass. If you try to intervene, you'll be deemed a traitor to Demacia. Simple. If you two want to go off and be together, then by all means, try it. Could make for a decent story if you don't die in the first few minutes." _He began laughing at his own words as he tried to imagine it, leaving Keith glaring furiously at him, while Lux bit her bottom lip slightly, her face becoming redder by the second.

"Shut it." Keith's voice was low, he removed his hand from the hilt, causing the still laughing dark figure to flow back into Keith's body. He looked back over at Lux, still a bright shade of red showing on her face, and gave a small sigh.

"You want to try that don't you?" Lux's eyes brightened up and a wide smile appeared on her face. She gave him a nod with her head and waited for him to say something.

His thoughts ran amok throughout his head. He wouldn't have minded doing something so surreal, but something was nagging him to turn her down for the moment. _Running away with a girl that resembles my.. No. I can't. This can't be while the League is up and about, I can't pull her away from her duties to Demacia._ He let out the breath he was holding in and dipped his head in defeat at himself.

"Lux.. As much as a tempting thing that is to do.. We can't. I wish I could say why but I think that would be a dangerous thing to do. I'm going alone and you're staying here in Demacia to do.. whatever it is that you do. You're the strongest mage Demacia has, and they need you to fight off Noxus, so before you dip into some sort of sadness, just look at what I'm saying, okay?"

"It's fine. I know I can't leave Demacia, I have no intentions of leaving behind my home. I actually had a different way of how we could-"

"I can't stay Lux. I'm pretty sure the entirety of Demacia hates me right now, well, the majority."

"Awh. Well, I tried. Sooo how are you going to wake up? I mean, I'm unconscious and stuck here until you pass through the gates. Are they just going to throw you out or something?" The two of them laughed at that, Lux more of a giggle to begin with.

"hmm, I'll give this a try." He grasped the sword around the hilt again. The area around him lit up in a blinding light before he was finally overwhelmed at the intensity of the shining light swallowing his body. Before long, he awakened in the carriage with a confused trio of people staring at him.

"Uhh, what? Why are you all looking at me?" Garen, Vayne and the Servant all continued looking at him before the carriage came to a stop. Keith shifted uncomfortably under their gaze, only to fall out of the carriage as someone from the outside opened it. He tumbled onto a cloaked woman with a bit of an odd accent, one he hadn't heard until that moment whilst in Demacia.

"Watch where you are going peasant! Get off of me now!" Keith push himself off of the woman and quickly stood, dusting some of the dirt off of his own cloak. He offered a hand to the woman he fell on, he couldn't see her face under the hood from her own cloak. She smacked his hand away and got herself up before briskly walking out the gate without another word. Keith watched her go and felt a somewhat familiar presence about her, like she was someone he had seen before. _'Probably someone from back at the Courtroom. Was that a french accent? Huh..'_

He shrugged off the feeling before making his own way toward the open gate, guards surrounded the massive archway to the outside world. Many of the people coming and going were being searched, with Keith being known to leave and everything he had on him already noted, they allowed him to pass freely. He took his first step out of the Demacian walls and felt a small weight on his shoulders disappear.

"AAAAHHH! Oh, I'm awake! uhm.." Lux had awoken from her coma-like state and was now rushing out of the carriage with a concerned Garen chasing after her. Vayne in the meantime had vanished altogether the moment Keith had left the confines of the carriage without a trace.

"Luxanna, wait!" Garen's voice bellowed after her, she was now in a full on sprint after Keith, who had decided to simply stand there with his back turned to her looking down at the ground.

"_You can't stay here. I know you have the question as to why we are headed to the Freljord, but first I suggest you deal with the current situation."_ The voice had called out to Keith in his head, but to Keith's surprise, there was no rising pressure to signal the man's voice was approaching. He almost jumped at the first few words out of surprise.

He turned to see Lux still running toward him, her signature smile spread across her face as she approached him. The guards tried to stop her while Garen tried to catch up to her, only to be slowed down by the ridiculous weight and size of the immobilizing armor he wore. She began to dodge and weave between the many converging soldiers the now chased after her, all unable to keep up with her as she continued toward Keith, slowing ever so slightly as she finally neared him.

The moment she made it to where Keith stood, she swung her arms around him, giving him a hug in front of the onlookers that watched the whole scene play out. Keith hesitated for a moment before returning the hug and quickly whispering something into her ear.

"I can't promise much, but something I can promise is that we will eventually see each other again. Where I cannot say, but I can tell you it won't be in Demacia." She pulled him closer to her for a moment before letting him go, her smile widening as she looked him in the eyes.

"You'll have to tell me how your 'adventures' go when we do meet again. But, if you can't tell me where, maybe when?" Her voice raised slightly at the end of her words, making it sound more cute than a proper question. Keith grinned at her as he shook his head before leaning it to whisper it to her.

"In a year or two. I know it's a while but it's the truth." Lux pouted at hearing the amount of time she would have to wait. Giving a small shrug she turned to leave, only to bump into Garen, who now stood right behind her. He was about to speak, but Keith beat him to it.

"Don't worry about it Garen, it's nothing important. Just a goodbye.. for now." He smirked at the last two words, the reaction Garen gave was a simple huff, before he put his hand on Lux's back and took her back into the city walls. Lux gave a small wave to Keith as he turned around. He was out of Demacia and on the road.

_Time for some fun. What way is the Freljord from here dude inside my head?_ _Also, you need a name. I don't know what to call you._ Keith felt a little weird thinking full sentences in his head and expecting a response. It made him question his sanity a little bit as he did so.

"_Walk along the road, then take the first left. It'll lead you through a swamp and over the serpentine river. We are currently facing easy, once we are over to the other side of the Serpentine river, just turn left and make sure the sun is on your left if it's the morning."_

_Alright. You didn't give me a name by the way. Should I just call you D? It's simple and fitting judging by what you looked like when I saw you in the dream like world._

"_D is fine. I'll tell you my real name one day when I say the time is right. But until then, D works well. Now, we have a good week or so of travelling until we reach the border of the Freljord country side.. Let's talk for a bit."_

_Great, I have a lot of questions which I think you won't answer. So let's start with.._

He didn't seem to notice a certain cloaked figure off in the trees to his left, following him and quickly jolting something down in a small notebook. They continued to follow him, as they made their way toward the Freljord.


End file.
